A rush of patients at Bahrain's main public hospital has led to a bed shortage, said a top official.

More than 50 patients who showed up at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) on Sunday night didn't get a bed until yesterday morning, an official at the Accident and Emergency Department told our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News..

They were all waiting to be admitted after first being treated by emergency specialists.

The build-up of patients has been blamed on an increase in the number of people visiting the Accident and Emergency Department.

More than 800 patients have been visiting the department every day for the past week, most of whom had symptoms of flu and the common cold, according to the official.

He said those patients could have been treated at health centres, but insisted on showing up at SMC - placing a massive burden on staff.

"Most of those coming are those with symptoms of flu and common cold, conditions that do not require hospital treatment," said.

He added the rush normally started after 3pm when some health centres closed - although he stressed that many remained open from 4pm until midnight.

"We always advise people to first go to their local health centres, from where they would be referred to the SMC if there is a need to do so," he said.

However, he stressed that patients would not be turned away from SMC. "All patients who are arriving are being examined and treatment given, even though many of them need only health centres treatment," he said.

The build-up in patients was described as normal for this time of year and an SMC doctor said another 20 people were waiting to be admitted yesterday evening.

"Though these patients are waiting for beds in wards, they are very much in the hospital being looked after at the Accident and Emergency Department," one doctor said. He added all patients were expected to be accommodated by early today. – TradeArabia News Service